Urges Congress to ensure strong annual federal funding for the National Institutes of Health and to increase investment in cutting-edge medical research through grants from the NIH to research institutions.

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83rd OREGON LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY--2025 Regular Session
House Joint Memorial 6
Sponsored by Representative HUDSON, Senator GELSER BLOUIN, Representative FRAGALA; Senator CAMPOS
(Presession filed.)
SUMMARY
The following summary is not prepared by the sponsors of the measure and is not a part of the body thereof subject
to consideration by the Legislative Assembly. It is an editor’s brief statement of the essential features of the
measure as introduced. The statement includes a measure digest written in compliance with applicable readability
standards.
Digest: Urges Congress to spend more on research involving health care. (Flesch Readability
Score: 69.7).
Urges Congress to ensure strong annual federal funding for the National Institutes of Health
and to increase investment in cutting-edge medical research through grants from the NIH to re-
search institutions.
JOINT MEMORIAL
To the President of the United States and the Senate and the House of Representatives of the United
States of America, in Congress assembled:
We, your memorialists, the Eighty-third Legislative Assembly of the State of Oregon, in legisla-
tive session assembled, respectfully represent as follows:
Whereas the contributions of medical research have led to breakthrough discoveries improving
health outcomes for patients and communities, securing global competitiveness in science, boosting
job creation, educating the next generation of scientists and strengthening economic growth; and
Whereas medical research, through the support of the National Institutes of Health (NIH),
serves a vital and unique role in the United States research enterprise, leading to cutting-edge
preventative strategies and research for treatments and cures for longstanding challenges like can-
cer, Alzheimer’s disease, heart disease, sickle cell disease, obesity and the mental health and opioid
epidemics, as well as for emerging threats like yet unknown infectious diseases; and
Whereas NIH funding has supported generations of medical researchers and their institutions,
including over 300,000 nonfederal scientists and technical personnel at more than 2,500 medical
schools, research universities and facilities; and
Whereas NIH funding forms the foundation of America’s biomedical research sector, which leads
the world in research spending and innovation; and
Whereas NIH funding has continued to decrease in recent years, severely affecting its ability
to provide grants to research institutions, including key institutions in the State of Oregon; and
Whereas without significant new investments, America’s long-term leadership in biomedical re-
search will be at risk; and
Whereas the effects of the decline in NIH funding and the resulting research and development
deficit will be immense, and these effects will be increasingly felt over time because scientific dis-
covery is cumulative; and
Whereas the choice between more or less NIH funding today can thus mean the difference be-
tween whether or not scientists make a critical breakthrough several decades from now; and
Whereas ensuring strong annual federal funding for the NIH is essential to support medical re-
NOTE: Matter in boldfaced type in an amended section is new; matter [ italic and bracketed] is existing law to be omitted.
New sections are in boldfaced type.
LC 1278
HJM 6
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search and the discovery of vital treatments and cures, which improve the physical and mental
health of all Americans; and
Whereas in order to secure America’s position as the global leader in biomedical research for
the foreseeable future, Congress must pursue significant new investments in cutting-edge medical
research funded by NIH grants; now, therefore,
Be It Resolved by the Legislative Assembly of the State of Oregon:
That we, the members of the Eighty-third Legislative Assembly, respectfully urge the Congress
of the United States of America to ensure strong annual federal funding for the National Institutes
of Health and to increase investment in cutting-edge medical research through grants from the NIH
to research institutions; and be it further
Resolved, That a copy of this memorial shall be sent to the President of the United States, the
Senate Majority Leader, the Speaker of the House of Representatives and each member of the
Oregon Congressional Delegation.
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